Two Sides to the Same Coin

We recently started meeting on Thursday nights at our new space and the Crave documentary was a perfect way to start us out, clarifying the direction we are moving at Genesis.

In the documentary we saw the importance of how leading a person to faith in Christ may begin first with simply joining them in their journey even as Jesus, unknown to the disciples at the time, joined them on the road to Emmaus. They soon found themselves in a

conversation with God, not even aware that God Himself was the One initiating that conversation.

It seems that many who follow Christ have embraced a certain method of communicating their faith that is often detached, judgmental, and really very different from what we read or see in Jesus himself and maybe instead of trying to win a debate and prove God to someone, we can hope to guide them to a place where they might meet and encounter God themselves.

Sunday morning was the flipside of Thursday’s coin as we are going through 1 Corinthians. It’s quite a contrast to go from journeying with people to find faith to disciplining someone in their faith; difficult unless you realize that the latter is dealing with family, which brings a whole new and complicated dimension to the situation.

It’s a hard sell in today’s society to see that the way we live affects those around us and when we think of a faith community it is usually more like an organization or club we attend than a family to whom we belong. And though we may romanticize the idea that when one person suffers we all suffer, we are not so quick to embrace the alternative that if we screw up, it screws everyone up, but that is exactly why Paul deals so strongly with the Corinthians; because we are not just a social gathering, we are family and what we do really affects those around us.

So Paul deals with serious moral issues and we have to ask ourselves how do we deal with these situations if we really are family? If a child gets hooked on drugs, does that affect the rest of the family? If a dad logs on to porn instead of showing affection to his wife and loving her, does that affect the rest of the family? If a wife flirts with another man and tries to seduce him, does that affect the rest of the family? Of course it does.

Our purpose is not to hunt down all the problems and condemn those who struggle or fall. Our desire is to live in relationship and when these kinds of issues show up, we, in humility, recognize how essential these people are and treat them as more important than ourselves. We do everything we can to strengthen and restore them, because they are our brothers, our daughters. This is exactly what Christ has done for us. He adopted us, made us family and relentlessly works in our lives for good.

So on one side of the coin we journey with a person to find faith

And on the other side we struggle with our family through faith.

Two sides of the same coin.

I Can't Walk Away

This is dedicated to those I love who are hurting and making dangerous choices.

I Can't Walk Away

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to move on like I don't care.

Dismiss the signs all around you,

pretend not to see what's there

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to close my eyes, while you live this lie.

Ignore the danger I see you in,

and then wait till you break, till you cry.

Can I walk away?

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to let go of what matters the most.

Of you and your wellbeing

to live like you're just a ghost.

I'm sorry I don't know how,

to wash my hands of you and be done.

Though before me are two choices,

inside me, there's only one.

I can't walk away.

Perspective

It seems I can never sleep on planes no matter how late it is or how long the flight, partly because the seats are so uncomfortable (at least in coach) and partly because there’s just too much going on in my head to be able to sleep.

That was the case during our recent red eye flight to New York and though it was late and I was tired, I found myself listening to music on my ipod and staring out the window into the dark, until out the window in the distance something caught my attention. I didn't know what it was at first and seriously thought I was over-exhausted and seeing things, but it happened again and then kept happening. I finally realized that what I was seeing was lightning from above the clouds instead of from below them.

From above, there were no jagged bolts reaching for the ground, just explosions of brilliant light echoing like fire throughout the clouds. It was incredible. They were huge and they were even a bit terrifying.

I began thinking about how our perspective plays such an important role in the outcome of what we do. How some are able to go through intense difficulties and become stronger because of them, while others go through identical struggles and crumble under the pressure. How one person sees the challenge to overcome and the other is overcome by the challenge. I wondered how God’s perspective looks compared to ours. I imagined how different everything must appear, how prayer looks like incense rising up to God’s throne, how Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from the sky as his disciples went out and did the things that Jesus himself had been doing.

I wondered how would our lives change if we could recognize the reality of heavenly things compared to the illusions of this world. How would things change if we had those eyes to see? I think the view would be incredible, huge and maybe even a bit terrifying.

My Heart Breaks

Sometimes I get lost in darkness

Sometimes my heart breaks

Sometimes my eyes swell shut

with pain I just can't take

When will the light return?

When will my heart mend?

When will my eyes open,

and I see you again.

A Hole in our Thinking

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. - 1 Cor. 4:3,4


When my kids were young, but old enough to be left alone, we at times would come home to some great surprises, like a hole in the wall. As the interrogation process took place, asking who did this and how did it happen, often times there was no answer; silent solidarity. No one knew or saw anything, which meant that either we had a stranger hiding somewhere in the house, some poltergeist action going on, or one or more of our kids were lying. And we actually hoped it was the latter.

After the questioning (which brought no confession) there might be a sentiment sounding something like this, “God knows who did this” at which point you could feel the sigh of relief in each of the kids and I could almost hear them saying, “Good! As long as you don’t know, we really don’t care if God knows or not.” If we are being honest with ourselves we will admit that we too think this same way at times and the reality of what we feel and actually care of God is sobering.

Paul speaks of three judgments in this passage of 1 Corinthians: judgment by people, ourselves, and from God. He says that he doesn’t care what people think of him (which is usually the opposite for for us). He figures that if he is doing what is right then who cares what others think. He then says he doesn’t even judge himself and though his conscience is clear, that doesn’t mean he’s innocent. Let’s face it; we all tend to paint ourselves in the best light. We justify what we do so even though we may feel good about ourselves, that doesn’t make us innocent because of how skewed we are. He concludes with the most important judgment: God’s.

It is absolutely startling to me how the most important judgment has the least influence on our lives while the least important occupies our greatest concern. We care so much what others think and give such little regard to what God thinks.

What would our lives look like if we really cared more of what God thought than what people thought? What if we didn’t feel the need to justify our actions, but believed that should really be left up to God? I think the holes in our lives, like the hole in my wall, could be fixed a lot quicker.

Need a Little Change?

There is a scripture in 1 Samuel 10:9 that fills my mind with wonder. It says, “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart…” Just like that!! Saul’s heart is changed.

I can’t tell you how many times I have labored and tried to change someone’s heart regarding something, from my children to friends making bad choices to myself. How many times have I researched, debated, laid out an iron clad case that will “fix” the situation, only to have all my work, thoughts, and efforts gently set on a shelf and be of no use at all? It’s crystal clear to me that though I may be able to inform or influence someone, I can’t change anyone, but I always seem to try anyway. I guess that’s part of the reason that I find that scripture so fascinating. God can actually change, transform, a person.

Paul presented this idea to the followers of Christ in Corinth. He asks them in chapter 3, why some say they follow Paul and others that they follow Apollos? If you do that aren’t you acting like mere men? In other words, you’re not following God who can bring true change, you’re following men who can only give you information or status. As great a man as Paul was and as dynamic a man as Apollos appears to have been, they are mere men in service to the Lord.

Paul then gives an illustration of fields growing crops as to what part he plays as a servant in the bigger work of God. Men can plant the seeds and water the ground, but they can’t make the crop grow. They don’t make the seed die in the ground or absorb the nutrients from the soil. They don’t provide the rain to get the water or the sun and all it produces with its light, heat and vitamins. That is exclusively the work of God.

I really should write this down and try to remember it so that the next time I try to make someone change, I can step out of the way, and not frustrate myself or them (oh how I’ve frustrated some people) and leave that work to God.

I may be able to plant a thought or some perspectives in someone’s mind, but ultimately it’s God who brings salvation and transformation and only God who can change a person’s heart.

Is there anyone out there besides me that needs a little change?

I understand God is giving it, freely

Wrestling (revised and reposted)

One of the more difficult lessons I am learning in life is that you can't give up! You can't stop trying to move your life forward. It doesn't matter if you’re tired, fed up, angry, bewildered, overwhelmed, you still have to push ahead and try to do what is right. You just can’t say “to hell with it”, throw your arms up and quit. I think Paul had this in mind when he wrote not to lose heart in doing what is right.

The thought of wrestling came into my mind the other day after dealing with a situation that ended after 4:00 a.m. and totally drained the life out of me. I thought about that intriguing passage in Genesis, where Jacob’s walk was marked for the rest of his life after he wrestled with God all night. I wondered, what would have happened had he quit and let go without holding on for his blessing? There is another account where Daniel is praying and waiting for 21 days without food for an answer from God. He waits as someone (or something) is hindering the answer from reaching him that entire time. The answer finally came on that 21st day, but what if he had given up and stopped just one day earlier?

Like these stories, my 4-hour wrestling match also ended well, but the thought terrifies me, ‘What could have happened had I quit?’ And God help me, I almost did several times. It makes me wonder how many times have I given up just short of the blessing, just before the answer or breakthrough?

So to the mom overwhelmed with worry over her children, or the couple struggling to hold on to each other, the dad who’s in way over his head at work or anyone who finds himself praying and waiting for help, Jesus said, “Don’t stop asking, don’t stop knocking, and don’t stop seeking, because everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

When? Maybe on the 21st day or maybe in the morning. The question really isn’t when, the question is, can you afford to quit too soon and miss it?

Pastors Are People Too – Part 2

Jesus was asked once by someone to intervene so they could get their portion of their father’s estate. Jesus responded, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Jesus went on to talk about greed, which appears the core of this man's request, but I was wondering, what if pastors followed Jesus lead when asked questions like this? Or like, “can you tell my wife to be more submissive? Should I marry this person or invest my money here?” Is it really a pastor’s job

to “decide such things as that?” It’s one thing to ask advice or prayer for important things in our lives, but it's another to expect a pastor to take the responsibility for our decisions and unfortunately some have that expectation.

The book of Acts gives an account of a problem where there was contention among some of the Grecian women who felt they were being mistreated. As this issue was brought to the disciples to “fix it”, instead of taking on this responsibility they delegated it and told them to pick out the right people who would handle the situation and take care of this important money matter themselves.

Not only can people expect too much from what pastors are supposed do at times, they also can expect too much of how they are supposed to behave. If you doubt this, just talk to any pastor’s kid.

I recently drove next to someone I knew from a local church who didn’t notice me because he was into his music. When he then saw me, he rolled down the window and apologized f

or his music being loud and quickly made clear, “It’s Christian music of course”, as if being a pastor made me the spiritual music police or something. And now what would he think if he found out that I (a pastor) at that time was actually listening to Smashing Pumpkins on KROQ? It’s because of these kinds of pressures that some pastors live undercover with the concerts they go to, movies they watch, or TV programs they like because of what people will think or say.

Pastors (overseers) as Paul told Timothy ARE supposed to live lives above reproach (exercise self-control, not be heavy drinkers or violent, to be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money), but I think we’ve expounded this to mean much more than what Paul mentions. This scrutinized expectation only feeds an artificial spirituality, which is hypocritical and based on perceptions rather than actual conditions of heart and life.

God has shown us what is good and what He requires of us, to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Pastors aren’t supposed to know everything or live to anyone other than Jesus’ expectations, but then isn’t that true for all of us who follow Christ?

After all, pastors are people too.

Pastors are People Too ~ Part 1

The meaning of my title is two-fold. First, is to be careful not to elevate pastors to an unhealthy status and second, is that we don’t have an unhealthy expectation of those in that position.

An Unhealthy Status

‘Pastor’ is synonymous with ‘spiritual shepherd’ and Jesus modeled what this is to look like. He taught His disciples that if they wanted to be great in the kingdom of heaven, then they must become the servant of all, and that those who sought to be first would actually be last. He gave a powerful example of this when He knelt down and washed their feet. Even though He was their Lord, He took the role of a slave and told them that they should follow His example.

Jesus’ example of what a leader looks like needs to be put side-by-side with pastors today. Are they serving or being served? Do they think their position sets them above others or do they think others more important than themselves? Though none of us compare well to Jesus’ example, He remains our model and goal.

Many, wanting to respect this position, feel that a pastor's role is off-limits to criticism, citing Paul’s letter to Timothy “not to rebuke an elder man harshly” and David saying that he would not bring an accusation against God’s anointed (King Saul) even though he (Saul) was behaving rather badly. But the Scriptures still bring to light Saul's actions and Paul himself wrote to the Galatians of how he publicly confronted Peter, telling him he was clearly wrong, hypocritical, and showing partiality. So either Paul doesn’t understand what he wrote, or we don’t.

I am not writing this to ridicule pastors and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a respectful teacher/laity relationship as long as it doesn’t cross over into a spiritual hierarchy where a person is thought right or better just because of their title. The truth is, there is no such thing as ordained and not ordained Christians in scripture, but there is a priesthood of all believers. God does not have favorites and no position affords freedom from responsibility, especially spiritual teachers as James 3:1 points out.

The biggest danger I believe in all this is not just thinking too much of pastors, but expecting too little from ourselves. They hear from God, we listen to them, they go on mission trips, study the Scriptures, do the work of God and we become spectators who resign from the responsibility of being an active part in what Paul illustrates as the body of Christ where every member contributes.

1 Cor. 14:26 says “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.” (NLT) This passage affirms that when we meet together there is something to be gained from a variety of people, and pastors are people too.

Who Cares? - Jonah Part 4

I used to have this cool ceramic bowl. It was blue on the outside, white on the inside, and the perfect size for a bowl of cereal. I had that bowl since I was a kid and then one fateful day it fell off the counter and was gone forever. I still get bummed when I think about losing that bowl. It’s funny some of the things that we care about and sad some of the things we don’t and in this final chapter of Jonah we get a picture of what Jonah, “the prophet”, and God care about.

Over the years in my conversations with people, I often hear something to the effect of, “I can’t believe in God because there is too much evil in the world.” And there seems to be a consensus that God doesn’t care as much as we do about the injustices of the world, that we’re the ones who are compassionate and forgiving, that we are the ones who are merciful and God is just concerned with judging, but that’s not what we see in the final scene of Jonah.

Up to this point, we don’t know why Jonah was running from Nineveh and when he finally tells us, it’s a bit surprising, especially from a prophet as we see that Jonah ran away because he knew that the Lord was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now there’s nothing wrong with a God like that unless you don’t like the people God is showing this mercy to, which is exactly the case with Jonah and is often the case with us. Our moral compass conveniently points to our prejudice.

If you think I’m exaggerating, ask a group of high school students if they saw a stranger and their dog drowning and could only save one, which would they save? The overwhelming response in my experience has been to save their beloved pet that makes them happy rather than the stranger, a fellow human made in God’s image.

When someone tells me that they can’t believe in God because there’s too much evil in the world I usually answer them, “Okay, you win there is no God. Now who do we blame for the evil in the world?” You see, God was just an excuse to shift the blame off us. The truth is we’re the ones, like Jonah, who have a problem with prejudice. We’re the ones, like the Ninevites, who mistreat one another. We, like Jonah, grieve more over a plant that dies, or a ceramic bowl that breaks, than for those who are lost and cannot tell their right hand from their left. We are the ones who don’t like to forgive those who have hurt us and want to see judgment for those we dislike and we, like Jonah, are able to close our eyes and ignore the fate of 120,000 people in Nineveh, or Haiti.

So, who really cares? …God does.